From today, some licensed gun owners in New South Wales will walk into police stations and hand in firearms in exchange for money.
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owners → walk → money
It is part of the national gun buyback scheme that Prime Minister Anthony Albanese announced in the days after the Bondi terrorist attack.
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Albanese → announce → attack
So far, only NSW and the ACT have agreed to join the buyback.
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NSW → agree → buyback
Western Australia conducted its own in 2024.
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Australia → conduct → 2024
The Minns and Albanese governments argue that having fewer firearms in the community will reduce the chances of them being misused or falling into the wrong hands.
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them → argue → hands
"Fewer guns in circulation in our community makes for a safer community," NSW Police Minister Yasmin Catley said.
"
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Catley → make → community
It's important to note, that more than one gun on average is stolen from NSW every single day, so those legal guns, become illegal."
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guns → note → NSW
Opponents say the government is unfairly targeting law-abiding gun owners.
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government → say → owners
Fourth-generation Wagga Wagga farmer Alan Brown said the buyback, which goes for 12 months, was a knee-jerk response.
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which → say → months
"What we needed was a carefully thought through program and a buyback is just not part of that," he said.
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he → need → that
"We have feral pests on this place and they're getting worse.
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they → get → place
"So we absolutely need weapons … to keep the feral pests under control.
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we → need → control
"
What are the caps？
One of the biggest factors driving demand in the buyback scheme will be the caps on the number of firearms an individual can own.
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individual → drive → firearms
Recreational hunters will be limited to four.
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hunters → limit → four
Sporting shooters, farmers, vertebrate pest controllers and other professionals will be limited to 10.
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shooters → sport → 10
However, while these caps already apply to people seeking to acquire new weapons, they have not been formalised for existing gun owners.
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they → apply → owners
They are not required to hand in any firearms yet, because the government is still finalising the regulations, including potential exemptions.
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government → require → exemptions
What are the exemptions？
No exemptions are being planned for recreational hunters.
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exemptions → plan → hunters
They will still be limited to four firearms.
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They → limit → firearms
However, the government is proposing a mechanism by which some gun owners can keep more than 10 firearms, with the police commissioner's permission.
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owners → propose → permission
While the government has not released the precise criteria, the police minister offered two examples last week.
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minister → release → examples
One was a farmer, who might keep a few guns on multiple properties.
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who → keep → properties
Another was an elite-level sporting shooter, who may require multiple firearms for different events.
NSW Farmers Association president Rebecca Reardon said there were many reasons a farmer might need more than 10 firearms.
"Whether you're having to shoot from near far, whether it's a small animal, large animal, whether it's moving, whether you're shooting from a helicopter or on the ground, different firearms perform different functions," she said.
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she → sport → functions
"[It is] essential therefore that we have the firearm that is able to do the right job.
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that → have → job
"
How do you hand in a gun？
Registered firearm owners who want to participate need to book an appointment via the NSW Police Gun Safe website.
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who → hand → website
Currently, only six police stations are accepting bookings: Dubbo, Griffith, Grafton, Penrith, Sutherland and Narellan.
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stations → accept → bookings
Ms Catley said all the available bookings had been filled.
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bookings → say → ?
"Every appointment is full, so there obviously is quite an interest for people to surrender their guns," she said.
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she → surrender → guns
In early December, an additional 34 police stations will start accepting bookings.
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stations → start → bookings
Under phase one of the scheme, gun owners could receive between $450 and $1,000 depending on the type of firearm they surrender.
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they → receive → firearm
Up to $10,000 will be on offer for higher-value guns under phase two next year, but the details are yet to be worked out.
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details → work → phase
Mr Brown said the amount on offer was "a joke" compared to what most guns were worth.
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guns → say → what
"[People will] surrender old rubbish, but they certainly won't surrender good weapons," he said.
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he → surrender → weapons
Will the buyback survive？
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buyback → survive → ?
After backing the premier's calls for tighter gun controls following the Bondi terrorist attack, the state opposition has since hardened its stance on the buyback.
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opposition → back → buyback
Opposition Leader Kellie Sloane declared it was "absolute bullshit" to suggest buyback would prevent another Bondi-style attack.
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buyback → declare → attack
And she said if gun owners did not want to surrender their firearms, they shouldn't.
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they → say → firearms
"Hold onto your guns if you don't want to give them away," Ms Sloane said last month.
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Sloane → hold → them
"It's not compulsory for them to hand them back at the moment."
The Coalition is vowing to scrap the caps for farmers and sporting shooters, if elected.
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Coalition → hand → farmers
"The real enemy on our streets at the moment are organised criminals and terrorists," Ms Sloane said.
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Sloane → organise → moment
…and 1 more, not listed.
The Aporia